Category Archives: USA

4 - Good (buy), Almanac Beer Co., Beer Reviews, Flanders Red Ale, USA

Almanac Grand Cru Red Ed. 2

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Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Belgian Flanders Red Ale
Other Notes: 2016 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Imperial Sour Red Ale, aged in red wine barrels, brewed with grapes, raspberries and vanilla beans.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. bottle, bottled in Autumn 2016. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy but bright orange red colour with a thin beige head that dissipated quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sour, tart, sweet, candy like, raspberry, cherry, grape jelly, vanilla, oak, and a touch vinous.
Taste: Sour, sour candy, raspberry, grape jelly, lemon juice, vinous, vanilla, oak and some light acidity.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium to full bodied, with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A very nice and balanced Sour Red Ale with enjoyable candy like fruity flavours, and alcohol non-existent and well hidden despite being 10.5% abv.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, The Lost Abbey, USA

Lost Abbey Carnevale

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Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Country: USA
ABV: 8%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Brett Saison

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For centuries Venetians lightened the dark of winter with an elaborate upending of social order. In donning a disguise for Carnevale, for one night a pauper could become a prince, a learned man a fool, a proper lady a passionate lover… and no one would be wiser. This beer is our tribute to that grand celebration of the unexpected. A saison-style blonde ale with American hops and… well, that’s all you really need to know. Now put on your mask, raise your glass, and toast to the magic of a winter’s night mystery. Lo Carnevale!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.83
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A corked and caged 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. bottle, vintage 2018. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a big three finger white head that had decent retention but eventually settled to a thin layer, while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Pear, apple, bubble gum, Belgian candi sugar, yeast, with floral and spice notes.
Taste: Sweet-ish, Belgian yeast, brett, bubble gum, pear, grapefruit, notes of spice and a touch boozy.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Sweeter and more boozy than I normally prefer, but still very drinkable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Three Floyds Brewing Co., USA, Wild Ale

Three Floyds Chevalier Bertrand du Guesclin

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Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: Unsure as not on bottle (6.4% on RB and UT, 6.7% on BA)
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: American Sour Ale aged in wine barrels with blueberries

Brewer Description: (from bottle) In order to survive in the 14th century one needed to be a force to be reckoned with. In Brittany, Spain and France this knight proved his mettle in battle after battle. This tart blueberry ale was brewed in one of our 3000 gallon foeders in his honour.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.45
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. blue-ish grey waxed bottle, with no clear bottled on or best before date (although I expect this to have been cellared 5 to 6 years maybe). Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy orange brown colour with a two fingered off white cream head that dissipated fairly quickly but settled to a thin continually replenishing layer, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, blueberry skin, blueberry, mixed berries, cherry, plum, acetone, oak, with notes of citrus zest.
Taste: Light to moderate sweet and sour, tart, blueberry, cherry, blackcurrant, Ribena, plum, oak, lemon zest, with a sweet jammy finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate spritzy carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable aroma and flavours that just worked for me. It was aged 5 or 6 years in my cellar, and actually, I can’t help but feel that it was better than I used to remember.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales, USA, Wild Ale

Black Project Gnomon

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Brewery: Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales
Country: USA
ABV: Unsure as not on bottle (5% on BA and UT, 6.2% on RB)
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Spontaneous Raw Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Gnomon is a blend of two sister beers, the first is similar to one of our traditional Lambic-inspired recipes, but we replaced the unmalted wheat with malted purple barley from our friends at Troubadour Maltings who acquired a special type of ancient, husk-less barley that has a deep purple color. We also didn’t boil the wort, making it a Raw Ale. It was inoculated via coolship and then fermented and aged the beer in Chardonnay barrels. The second part is also a spontaneous Raw Ale made with 100% malted purple barley. The beer was then fermented and aged in neutral oak barrels. The beers were blended and given a light dry hop prior to being bottled. The end result exhibits a unique, hearty grain character, which is backed by restrained bitterness and a moderate citrusy acidity.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 500ml corked and capped bottled, bottled on 12th February 2018. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sour, fruity, underripe mango, peach, wood, with hints of nail polish.
Taste: Light sour, fruity, apricot, oak, funk, and grapes.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: The light fruitiness was more tropical than expected and was enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Hudson Valley Brewery, IPA - Sour, USA

Hudson Valley Pirouette

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Brewery: Hudson Valley Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: American Sour IPA
Other Notes: Sour IPA

Brewer Description: (from website) Sour IPA w/ raw wheat & malted oat; hopped w/ Galaxy, Citra & Azacca.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.17
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 16 fl. oz. can, with no clear canned on or best before date. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy straw yellow colour with a big three finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, but left only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Tart, sour, guava, pineapple, grapefruit, lemon, and citrus zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, lemon, lime, grapefruit, with notes of guava.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with spritzy moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Nice enjoyable and easy drinking Sour IPA with good citrus and tropical fruit aroma and flavours.